Maui Big Swell IPA

OK folks, I have to admit that getting back into the “real world” (including blogging) has been tough following our long vacation in Hawaii. I’m flinging myself off the wagon and getting back to drinking…errr…writing.

Tonight I’m posting part 2 of the recap of our vacation. When we last left off, I had told you about the first couple of days in Oahu at the Dole Plantation and Pearl Harbor.

But before continuing the recap, let’s talk beer. The second Maui beer that I’m reviewing is Big Swell IPA. As the label says, it’s “Big, hoppy, Bold, smooth and hoppy…Did we mention hoppy?” I concur, as it was the hoppiest beer I found to be brewed on the islands (not that there are that many). It’s full of citrus and floral flavors. I love drinking this brew out of the can…it goes down so damn quick and smooth. The can makes for great cooler-beer at the beach, however be wary of the 6.8% ABV, lest you decide to have a few of these before swimming.

Overall, I really liked it. Technically speaking, it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s the best local IPA you’ll find on the islands and you know what? It reminds me of being in Hawaii, and therefore it’s fricking great.

A World War 2 B25 bomber. My father-in-law’s dad flew in these during the war.

In my previous Oahu recap, I talked a bit about being at Pearl Harbor. One part of Pearl Harbor I left out was the Pacific Aviation Museum. The museum has a slew of restored world war 2 era planes, as well as a fair share of modern military aircraft.

A P40 Warhawk, which was made famous in the air battles over Manchuria.Original bullet holes from the Pearl Harbor attack

One of the coolest parts of the museum was the building itself. The structures are the same that stood on December 7, 1941 and they still bare bullet holes from Japanese fighters that day!

While we were in Oahu we hiked (actually ran up) the Diamond Head Crater. The mountain is an extinct volcano that overlooks Waikiki beach. The climb up was a relatively quick 20 minutes and the views were spectacular. This is a must-visit if you’re ever in Oahu.

Going up!

For my next post we’ll jump over to the island of Maui and recap the second half of our vacation.

-Lost

Victory! Looking down on Waikiki beach. Somewhere down there is our hotel.